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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · pitch · fan · roll · pass · wind · plane · bound

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wind — moving air
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pitch — completely
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bound — certain
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com